Archive for the ‘Life’ Category

Lately I’ve been so busy with various ‘other’ things that I haven’t taken the time to do the things in life I love doing the most.

With as much fashion as I discuss daily, and the amount of chess I play daily, yet, most of all it is the amount of writing that I do–daily–that takes the kind of planning, preparing, drafting, proofing, and revision or time off of the clock to do the things I enjoy the most. So today I’m going to share with you (whoever passes by) a rather cool story that happened lately.

Early Tuesday morning I got up, staggered to the door more than still half asleep to let the dogs out (Bailey and Casey ♥♥) and whilst they’re outside taking care of their business I prepare their morning meal.

Only this Tuesday morning was a bit different…I went out to give em’ hugs and lovin’ and noticed that for the third time this year someone had taken out my mailbox or ‘letter box’ for my European and Aussie friends.

Well just a super quick background: 1st time this year, some plastered high-school kids took the turn far too fast and besides the mailbox, took out my ‘lamplighter’ light as well. You know, if you don’t yet belive in God, you should.

Tire marks took out part of my ‘spring garden’ enclosed in a Tea Ring style shape with flagstone borders. The God part? The tire tracks went about three feet from one of those 300 year old huge oak trees that 4 or 5 adults couldn’t get their arms around! (Suffice it to say if they had hit the tree–they may indeed met God already!

At any rate, with my mailbox under their truck and dragged merciously, it was not a big feat to “follow the mailbox” pieces in the road. Enough said on #1.

Number 2 was very much the same, although my new mailbox didn’t get dragged; it was just lifted and hurled across about a quarter of an acre of my front yard! No “I’m sorry” hit and run note.

Noticing that the box as ajar, nonetheless the dogs were hungry their table set and I figured, “Ah, I’ll get to it later this afternoon. When suddenly, Knock, knock, knock, that made all three of us jump; I have one of those brass knockers and you know when someone’s at the door.

There she stood all maybe 5′ of her; a petite little Asian lady dressed to the 9’s and made up impeccably! So she started telling me the story of “Alice’s Restaurant” (joke) and how she removed my mailbox. She wanted to know how she could help out.

My first reaction was, “…I do the labor and procure the necessary parts (concrete!) and let’s swap numbers and I’d call her for reinbursement. She gladly said ‘Okay.’ Her English was about as good as my Japanese so she wanted me to chat with her friend. And then something happened that only a Christian knows the true feeling of…

I looked at her and said, for once let you reward of honest, dignity, willingness to help, and disclosure be rewarded here right now on Earth! Quizzically she looked, stared at me. I said, “Miss you owe me nothing…thank you for your honesty and at least reporting it too me and wanting to help…”

She bowed slightly and I returned the gesture and then…I asked her if she’d like to pray. We did.

I am here to tell you folks that I’ve just about had enough of this election campaign bull squat. And like I say…far be it from me to ever critique anyone’s posture on anything; insofar as this excuse for an electoral campaign that is going to affect me in some way, well then, I feel I have a right to say something about it…especially when,

I am paying for it, and one way or another it looks like America is hitting yet another ‘growth’ period

So work with me please for I think I’m developing some heavy issues. Like this one: How can a person say…they want to redistribute the wealth in this country? Seriously, isn’t this the stuff of “Robin Hood”? You know…let’s take from the rich and give to the poor?

Is it me, or do we not live in a nation that was built on a capitalist economy and a representative democracy?

Yet at precisely the same time the same person who is espousing this crap is of the ‘Ruling Elite’ in this nation! Moreover, it seems to me that this individual who spent $600,000,000 six hundred million dollars on his campaign is still whinging at how the civil rights movement didn’t redistribute the wealth nearly as it should have, simply because the courts couldn’t get involved! (Anyone thinking “Race card” here?)

There can be no doubt about it what-so-ever: America is experiencing some economic cycles and some people are not adjusting to them so well. Face it folks, America is changing!

Albeit to the good or for the bad will be decided in the outcome of the forthcoming years. Here is where I get disgusted with the entire pin head puppets we call legislators who have not seen outside of the “Washington D.C. Establishment” in 10, some 20, and some over 30 years!

There is more corruption inside of the “Beltway” (district where the US capital exists) then anywhere else in the country. Senators with other Representatives of Congress taking bribes, insider trading, doing drugs, alcohol, and then carrying on like Nancy Pelosi?

Like I started this little essay, all of this from the JUNK riddled New York Times, to the other main-stream media who think they can print whatever they want is worse than shouting “Fire” in a dark theater, or pyrotechnics in an over crowded music club.

But yet, I will still vote…who really knows what happens to our votes? I don’t and I’ve tried to find out. But for peace, I will vote. Cheers gang!!

Quite openly this answer to this and every other question humankind could ever have is answered in The Bible. You know, that little book you always find in hotels; or the ones at your house that are either grandiose and passed from generation to generation, or more simply, there might be one in your parents’ room.

What would I even take the time to go through that kind of introduction with a title such as: “What does it all mean?” Read on and hopefully I’ll be able to help in understanding what a mess humans have made of Wall Street, credit markets, loans for mortgages, insurance defaults, investment banker bull, and why the financial sector is asking for 700 Billion dollars for a ‘bail-out.’

All throughout life we are ‘told’ to watch our manners, always say please and thank you, don’t shame the name, don’t drink and drive, let’s girls keep our legs crossed, never, ever lie, always tell the truth, and say no to drugs. Ahh, lest I forget the proverbial; “…is your homework done…and we get you everything you need to succeed in school…”

Ironically I have been reading this other blog (my favorite…I love the writer!) called “The Thinker” and the writer has some sort of fixation with maintaining what he refers to as “The Bar of Acceptable Standards.” Mr. Thinker believes that as time goes on or as he says; “From generation to generation the norms and standards that founded this country [America] are eroding” and that’s where he gets his description of ‘lowering the bar’ of standards. In other words, the writer believes that things we’re different and more strict in the 1950s and that through the 60s, 70s, up to now, everyone from government officials…starting with our own parents, to education and life is rotting from inside out.

That’s my day I’m talking about. Damn! It’s hard to get going today and it’s bothering me big time! I don’t know if it’s the weather–95° hot–or if I just don’t feel like another day to strengthen the skin cancer cells that seem to be cropping up all over me!

No big deal; I just disappointed in myself for letting the cooler, earlier part of the day get away from me. Now, I guess I’ll just have to grin and bare it!

When I get into these kinds of moods–and believe me it is a mood–what I need to do is think about Caylee Anthony, the little and adorable three year old darling girl whose been missing for over two months and her mom has been out partying!

And if that’s not enough to get me going, think about worse things: Oh yeah! It can be worse…I could be sitting in a jail cell with no air conditioning; I could be in any one of the dysfunctional countries in Africa fearing that a kid with an AK 47 could end my life forever.

The lousy thing about the last one “The Kid and the AK 47” is it’s not me that’s worried so much; but it’s for the kid simply because “LIFE” simply means nothing but pain and suffering for him. Think about this one: Dead animal carcuses laying around, 100° heat or worse, at least a hundred flies buzzing around my face, when all of the sudden I walk up on a mass grave and see my sister!

Oh yeah! It can get a whole helluva lot worse. I’m done bitching, I’ve got things to do! Make yours a great day!

Ahh-yes! I love this one and why one might ask? It is definitely a real hemisphere splitter, a huge leap as it were, and a quantitative dance to be sure–really? You betcha!

Why do we have to take math? Why study something we’ll never use? What’s the purpose?

At one time either as a student, friend, sibling, teacher, or parent we’ve heard these three questions. Or even one or two of the three, if not all of them. So why do we? Do we ever use this stuff? Will I ever know the purpose? Read on…

Why do we study math? The most obvious reason is that if there is anything that is remotely close to a ‘universal’ language then it has to be math. We are here to tell you that everything from music to software, light to nuclear energy, even colors has its mathematical breakdown.

Ever see the film, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, ?

Interestingly the medium used for communication was: music, colors, and their relativity to math! Now you say, “What!” So here goes: For the most part the quantitative discipline starts with Algebra where we look at a problem one way and we don’t understand it. (Not too worry folks, it’s supposed to be that way!)

Most often this is when most younger American students say, “I don’t understand this…what does this have to do with real life?” The real life part of it is that when we look at something the first time about 98% of the population see it exactly the same as we do. However, there is that nagging 1.5% that sees something different, and then again a 0.5% that are seeing things that are not there at all.

Any time educators present material where they encourage or try and inspire a student to view a situation from a different perspective this in education terms referred to as “quantitative analysis.” Pretty fancy sounding; yet, what it means is to quantum leap from the left side of your brain to the right side. Mathematics is without question the best way to do this ‘hemisphere jumping.’ We are presented with a very ordinary problem and because of all the symbols and squiggly figures we just say no way!

Here is one I use a lot, it’s primarily used to show how easy it is to perceive an object in a different perspective. I start with drawing the symbols very carefully: I X Now, I ask them very carefully: “With one single line make this a 6.” ( — )

This will do for our demonstration today. I will ask everyone to attempt this assignment and we’ll compare answers tomorrow.

I am writing this as an aside-you know those little bits that stimulate the mind and the only real way to get it off of one’s mind is either to discuss it or in my case, journalize it.

Have you every wondered why or what is so important, posh, chic, or desirous about something that people will go to the ends of the earth to get it? Let’s look at the Office of the President, here in the United States.

The way this campaign is shaping up is nothing shy of witnessing pure Hell. Just about everything I read in The Bible, especially the Book of Proverbs or Christ’s ‘Sermon on the Mount’ warns us against the carnage and lengths that others will do, or stoop to, even to obtain the party’s nomination. Ironically the portion of Proverbs I’m referring to is subtitled, ‘Contrast the Upright and the Wicked.’

I am referring to it now as the ‘Slithering Shimmering Snake’ simply because that is what it reminds of when people lose all sense of dignity and their own personal integrity runs so ragged that they are ready to run ruckshod over any person who gets in their way.

The latest acts of desperation I’ve seen or heard goes something like this: “Senator John McCain is to old to be a President;” Isn’t this ‘age discrimination’? Sure it is and before any of his opposition could collect his personal medical records, dental records, DMV, military records to literally pore through to find something to discredit him along with his age…

It has become the slogan of “Four More Years of Bush.” Now I’ve just got to ask myself these questions: What is it about the presidency that would have folks stoop to this level? What does a person gain when they completely forfeit themselves and their dignity in order to gain anything?

Lord, please help me to never want anything so bad that I am ready to become as a snake and with my pithy tongue flapping this way and that way destroying everything in its path.

The Unfinished Journey is a conglomerate of musings, thoughts, experiences, fun times, Not so fun times, and basic day-to-day ongoings from the perspective of one who is in that journey.

From the best of my memory I believe that the notion of putting to print the activities of a young person has come from several sources. One of the first things we do as educators, mentors, or friends, hell even enemies, is to begin whoever we meet on the concept of journaling.

Got things on your mind? Journal it! Feeling some anxiety? Journalize it! Experiencing passion, angst, love, infatuation, shoes, cfm’s, got it yet? Journalize it…wherever; albeit, in the stall, at the bar, at the nightspot, even in church–just get it to writing.

Research study after study indicates that those who journalize, experience less anxiety, depression, doldrums, and quite the opposite happens. Yep! Having delt with the negatives, then we are free to explore the wonders of life! That is what ‘The Unfinished Journey’ is about.

This is my ‘Great Big Huge and Grand Hello World’ from our blog, The Unfinished Journey, and as part of that great introduction and welcome we thought we’d share this newly acquired information with you.

Every now and then someone comes up with the most ‘zany, wacky, and weird reasons for why we do the things we do. I was reading earlier today and just had to share it with you.

The main reason for my interest is multi-fold: I love music and I am a musican; I love linguistics and the study of language; therefore, reading something that deals with both was really cool. It’s called:

3 Smart Things About Music

1- The pitches in musical scales are likely derived from language. Turns out, aspects of spoken English and Mandarin correlate to the intervals between notes in a chromatic scale (the black and white piano keys in an octave). Is it music we love or the sound of our own voices?

2- When musicians improvise, the lateral prefrontal areas of their brains – responsible for planning and self-censorship – basically turn off. Meanwhile, the medial prefrontal cortex – linked to self-expression and activities like telling a story about yourself – lights up.

3- Getting “Eye of the Tiger” stuck in your head is the result of a glitch in your auditory cortex. This part of your brain processes sounds and stores them for later recall. It powers up and can start crooning uncontrollably after hearing just a few notes of a familiar tune. Want it to stop? Listen to the whole song or do some math.

Of the first part, very early on in music I learned that the human voice is the perfectly tuned instrument in the history of humankind. How many people go and enjoy the opera without knowing the language, yet have tears streaming down their faces?

Secondly, for many years many ‘experts’ from Timothy Leary to Dr. Phil have alleged that there are portions within the brain that are so creative, they may be uncontrolable at times.

Finally, I don’t know how much of the ‘glitch’ theory works for me; however, the notion of ‘crooning’ I have no doubt is true. Some call them jingles (commercially), slogans with music backgrounds, in fact, many of this is planned by many producers and song writers. I don’t buy the idea of working through the entire song insofar as for me, it just makes me want to do it again.

And the doing math part…makes perfectly good sense for me. Stay tuned and I tell you why!